Day 1: 

We kicked off the day with an Uber to the Vasa Museum, The Vasa ship sank in 1628 and wasn’t recovered for 333 years. It’s now displayed nearly fully intact inside the museum. The story behind is interesting however, entry is around £16 per person however, so I would say go for it if this is something that would interest you. I am not a big museum girl myself although I found it interesting I don’t believe it was worth the £16 entry fee.

From there, we strolled over to Skansen Open-Air Museum. This is a lovely place, especially if you’re traveling with kids. It boasts beautiful views of Stockholm, showcases traditional Swedish homes, and home to native animals like moose and bears. It was super wholesome and a great way to learn the local culture.

After all the museums we were hungry so we headed back to the main square and tried the famous Swedish meatballs at Meatballs for the People, they were delicious! We went for the chef’s special for two—16 meatballs featuring 8 different types of meat, including boar and moose!

To walk off the meatball feast, we wandered over to Monteliusvägen, a scenic viewpoint with sweeping panoramas of the city. It’s about a 15-minute uphill walk from the centre, but absolutely worth it. You get to see the city from above, with a lovely walking route and benches to sit on and admire.

We then walked to the centre of Gamla Stan, the charming old town with its colourful buildings, cute shops, and cobblestone streets.

To end the evening, we popped into an underground bar called Restaurang Misteln Bar & Café to try some Swedish cider a great way to unwind after a full day.

Day 2:

We started the morning with pastries from a cute gluten-free bakery called Happy Aterlier—highly recommend! With coffee in hand, we wandered through the City Hall Gardens, soaking in the calm atmosphere and gorgeous waterside views.

We then walked through the main high street and stopped at Karamell, a traditional sweet shop on Drottninggatan Street, where we picked up some classic Swedish sweets.

Then came one of the highlights of the trip: the Changing of the Guard at Kungliga Slottet (the Royal Palace). It kicked off around 12:15pm, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was amazing. Imagine a full band on horseback playing an ABBA medley. Yes, really. 

We followed that up with a peaceful walk to Kungsträdgården, a city park with blooming cherry blossoms and locals relaxing in the sun.

For lunch we made our way to the Östermalm Food Hall, which was packed with mouthwatering options however, if I am being honest, I was so tired and was craving carbs so we opted for Bröd & Salt down the road. I ordered a pizza, a traditional Swedish cinnamon bun, and an iced lavender oat latte and it was so good!

To finish off our adventure, we walked about 45 minutes back to our boat along the waterfront. The vibe was magical—sunshine and live music! We were tempted to Uber, but at that point, our wallets were crying, and honestly, the walk was a perfect goodbye to the city.